11. The Workshop was held in Eko Meridian hotel in Lagos. The main working language was English, but an English-French interpreter translated most of the interventions. List of participants is shown in Appendix 2a.
12. The opening address from the host government was delivered by Mr V.O. Adebolu, Deputy Director of Fisheries on behalf of the Honourable Minister for Agriculture and Rual Development. He expressed the concern of the Hon. Minister about the significant loss of fish biodiversity and habitat degradation attributed to uncontrolled shrimp trawl fisheries worldwide. He concluded that Nigeria would be willing to adopt any environmentally friendly technique and practice recommended at the end of the workshop, believing it would not have much negative socio-economic impact on the artisanal fishermen or the industrial trawler operators and other stakeholders.
13. Mr Valdemarsen, FAO, addressed the meeting on behalf of his organization and among others stressed the importance of joining forces on a global scale to solve problems with bycatch and discards in tropical shrimp trawl fisheries.
14. The delegates from the three countries in Africa participating in the Project Development and Preparation phase, Cameroon, Nigeria and Tanzania gave brief presentations of the situation of the shrimp fisheries.
15. Cameroon has presently 65 licensed shrimp trawlers mainly operated by "Time Charter" companies, a kind of joint venture with foreign ownership. The official landings of shrimp are around 500 tonnes/year but this figure is believed to be an under-estimate as some of the "Time Charter" companies are not declaring the real quantities caught. The main shrimp targets are pink shrimp (Penaeus notialis) in 30-60 m depth and Guinea (brown) shrimp (Parapenaeopsis atlantica) together with grey shrimp (Penaeus kerathurus ) in shallower 10-30 m depth. It was also reported recently that giant Penaeus monodon are captured in Cameroon waters. This is a shrimp species that is not native to the region and must thus have been transferred from other regions. In addition to industrial trawlers, approximately 200 fishing canoes are exploiting small estuary shrimp (Nematopalaemon hastatus) with very small meshed conical nets (ngoto). It was also reported that two-boat trawling is increasing in shallow waters, targeting mainly fish. Shrimp trawlers also catch large amounts of fish as bycatch. Some of the fish bycatch, including a certain amount of juveniles, is landed for the local market, but, undoubtedly, a significant amounts of low-valued fish and juveniles is also discarded at sea. It was concluded that: (i) the capture of juvenile food fish was a threat to a sustainable exploitation of demersal fish resources and (ii) trawling in shallow waters created serious conflicts with artisanal fishers.
16. Nigeria has the largest shrimp trawler fleet in the region with 264 (1999) licensed vessels catching approximately 10 000 tonnes/year. The target species are the same as in Cameroon, Penaeus notalis in deeper (15-60 m) and mainly Parapenaeosis atlantica in shallower water (7-15 m). As reported for Cameroon the non-native giant prawn Penaeus monodon is increasing in abundance. One company with 10 trawlers reported 2 tonnes catches of this specimen during recent fishing trips in 1999. Bycatch of fish is significant and a system of landing most of these catches has developed rapidly in the country. The shrimp trawlers freeze the valuable catch; many companies have in fact introduced cruise targets for catches of shrimp and fish: for instance, 10-12 tonnes of shrimp and 17-25 tonnes of fish for a 4-5 week trip in the season. The remaining fish bycatch is traded at sea through a system where motorized canoes buy the fish and transport it to shore where it is processed and marketed. This latter practice now involves a significant number of people who make a living from this activity (for some people, this kind of trade now replaces fishing); it is also a major source of income for the trawler crew who are poorly paid, less than US$ 20/month, (it is worth observing that this business, out of the control of the vessel owners is, in general, badly perceived by them). The negative side of this practice is that shrimp trawlers now aim to catch as much fish as possible, often in shallow waters where fish and also juveniles are most abundant. As trawling for fish is often conducted in shallow waters, where the artisanal fleet also operates, conflicts including damage to gear is an increasing problem. The control of the operation of fishing vessels (MCS system) is poorly developed to combat this questionable fishing practice.
17. Tanzania has 20 licensed, foreign owned outrigger shrimp trawlers in 1999. The annual catch for this fleet is approximately 1000 tonnes, comprising of 66% white prawn (Penaeus indicus), 18% giant prawn (Penaeus monodon) and tiger prawn (Penaeus semisulcatus), 15% brown shrimp (Metapenaeus monoceros) and 1% of flower shrimp (Penaeus japonicus). The shrimp resources are also exploited by artisanal fishers using a variety of gears, like traps, seines and gillnets. Estimated landings from this fleet segment are 700 tonnes, including small sized shrimp species as well as juveniles. Trawling for shrimp in Tanzania is banned in December, January and February and night fishing (between 6 pm and 6 am) is prohibited. Bycatch of fish, including juveniles is considered a major problem also in the trawl fisheries in Tanzania. Some of the fish bycatch is transhipped/sold to smaller collector vessels at sea, but most of the unwanted bycatch is discarded at sea.
18. Industry representatives from Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Gambia and Ghana reported about similar problems with bycatch of fish, mainly juveniles, and an ongoing conflict between shrimp trawlers and artisanal fishers. The representative from Mozambique reported of about 13-14 000 tonnes annual shrimp catch, significant bycatch problems and likewise conflict between artisanal fishers and shrimp trawlers.
19. For most countries it was apparent that good data on the amount and composition of bycatch was lacking. It was, however, obvious that most countries considered catch of juveniles as a widespread problem. It was also noted that the problem with bycatch of juvenile fish was less for shrimp fisheries conducted in deeper waters. Some countries land most of the bycatch, and a socio-economic activity based on such products has developed, particularly in Nigeria.
20. Impact of trawling on the bottom habitat is an area where there is not much exact knowledge. Some participants argued that other elements have more severe impact on the bottom habitat than trawling e.g. dumping from ships and pollution from land based industries. Some even argued that trawling helped to increase marine production by discarding captured biological material and by damaging benthos, which then enter the food chain.
21. Concerning change of fishing practice, Nigeria reported that the Turtle Excluder Device was made mandatory in the shrimp fishery. It was, however, indicated that the implementation of this measure was ineffective, as fishers experienced loss of shrimp catch while using TEDs and that the MCS is poor. It was also stated that turtles were seldom taken in a shrimp trawl and that other causes of harm to turtles, like egg removal from the beaches, were a more serious threat to the turtle populations. It was, however, recognised that the incidental catch of turtles should be fully avoided in shrimp trawls, and that appropriate technology should be introduced when such a bycatch exists.
22. All participating countries reported on problems with juvenile fish bycatch. Regulation until now has been based on mesh size of the codend. Nigeria reported promising results by a shrimp company using 60 mm mesh size, compared to the presently used 44 mm. Cameroon informed that 25 mm was the mesh size commonly in use, and that 35 mm was considered for new regulations. It was agreed that all countries in the region should strive to have similar mesh size regulations. Square mesh codends were considered as a possible option to reduce juvenile fish bycatch. The representative from Cameroon proposed that some fishing grounds should be made non-trawlable through deposit of ship wrecks. It was also proposed that closed seasons should be implemented to protect juvenile fish and shrimp.
23. Information was considered an important aspect for the success of a project aiming to reduce the environmental impact of shrimp trawling. It was stressed that FAO, as the executing agency, has a special responsibility to disseminate relevant information to all parties involved, and that creation of an internet Web-page was considered to be a useful tool in that regard. Nigeria offered to play an important role in the region, by providing research facilities and to coordinate research and other monitoring activities.
24. Incentives to modify fishing practice are often required. In the Nigerian shrimp trawl fisheries the capture of juveniles is, practically, encouraged by the high demand for fish bycatch by collector vessels. The socio-economic forces behind this practice are obviously so strong that it will require major incentives in many fields to change practices. Higher wages for trawler crews and alternative occupation for people who are involved in bycatch trading, processing and marketing are possible options. As trading of bycatch is often out of the control of the vessel owners there is probably a common interest between the vessel owners and the local authorities to regulate this activity.
25. Finally, participants of the shrimp fishing industry sectors, from Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia and Senegal presented a Resolution stating that they agree, in principle, to put into operation the appropriate bycatch reduction technologies (calling in this respect for cooperation in the field of information and training) but that governments and international bodies should have mechanisms to compensate for investments and incremental cost required for the implementation of responsible fisheries concepts, in general and should take into consideration the immediate negative social consequences resulting from such changes. These countries ask that, within the project, FAO take action to reduce the secondary effects on stakeholders resulting from the introduction and implementation of any measure aiming to reduce the environmental impact.
26. A group consisting of the national coordinators, supported by industry representatives from Nigeria and Cameroon developed through discussion a draft proposal of regional priorities of problems and solutions/activities to be addressed in a main phase project. The outcome, which is shown in Table 1 was adopted in a plenary session. (The table has been slightly modified to harmonise it with the outcomes of the other workshops.)
Table 1 Identified problems and proposed activities to be included in the main phase project in the West African region
Problem |
Impact |
Project activities |
Output |
Groups involved |
Implementing/
|
I. Capture of juvenile fish |
Biological
|
-Public awareness building
|
-Acceptance of the need for change in fishing practice
|
- Fishers
|
- National government
|
Social
|
- Regular meetings between industry and artisanal fishers
|
- Reduced capture and trade of juvenile fish
|
- Fishers
|
- National government
| |
Administrative/
|
- Regular meetings between industry/stakeholders and the administration at national level
|
- An improved MSC
|
- National government
|
- National government
| |
II. Degradation of the environment |
-Destabilisation of the ecosystem and the food chain
|
-Underwater surveys to evaluate the level of degradation of sea bottom and dislodgement of benthic fauna
|
- Knowledge about trawling impact on the bottom habitat |
- Fishers
|
- National government
|
III. Overcapacity |
Overexploitation of resources leading to collapse of some fisheries |
- Stop licensing new vessels
|
- Reduction of the numbers of shrimp trawlers
|
- National government
|
- National government
|
